Trump and DOJ Made 2018 a Rough Year for MS-13 Gang Members

Marvin Recinos / AFP / Getty ImagesMembers of the MS-13 gang accused of various crimes remain crammed in a cell at a jail of the National Civil Police in Ilopango, Salvador, on November 16, 2018. - Since October, more than 5,000 Central American migrants have set out on the long, arduous journey of thousands of kilometres, either by foot, bus or hitch-hiking northwards in the hope of reaching the promised land of the United States. (Marvin Recinos / AFP / Getty Images)

Memes have been made and shared on social media related to now Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi’s “spark of divinity” comment. But President Donald Trump has not let that stop him from making it a very bad year for members of the MS-13 gang.

We’re fighting the same problem. It’s called globalist politicians running sanctuary cities and states. For examp, our politicians can’t find a spark of divinity in conservatives, but when asked about MS13👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/WmAJaKRKBz

At the time, since January of that year, MS-13 gang members had been responsible for 17 murders in Long Island, New York, alone. The Central American based gang also has shown activity in Washington D.C., and Los Angeles, California.

Advertisement - story continues below

And according to the latest data, once again Trump has been true to his word. Newsday reported that in both Nassua and Suffolk counties in New York, crime and murder has seen significant declines.

Further they reported that those declines in crime across Long Island “mirror the national trend of decreasing crime.” In Suffolk County, only one homicide was attributed to MS-13.

Do you support President Trump's push against MS-13?

YesNo

Completing this poll entitles you to Conservative Tribune news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out.

Overall, only 4 homicides in Long Island were attributed to MS-13 in 2018. Police noted that “Crime decreased to historic lows across Long Island over the past year, including a dramatic drop in the number of killings attributed to MS-13 gang violence.”

Trump had a lot of help in making his promise come true. And police noted that.

They “credited the department’s collaboration with federal law enforcement” as part of what made the significant drop in crime become a reality. When agencies work together and with the president’s agenda, great things can happen on a local level for communities.

Advertisement - story continues below

Of course, not everyone is praising Trump for keeping his word or cracking down on the crime that hurts communities across the country. The New York Times criticized his efforts as being anti-immigrant.

The Trump administration went after gang members — and instead destroyed the American dreams of immigrant teenagers around the country https://t.co/9vJ3BbFvaW

The New York Times and ProPublica collaboration piece told the story of an unaccompanied minor and asylum seeking teenager who was picked up in an MS-13 gang sweep in Suffolk County.

Advertisement - story continues below

They noted that because of various laws, identifying MS-13 gang members could be tricky. Because of that, police officers who worked in the schools, referred to as school resource officers, would “collect tips and disciplinary information from teachers and administrators.”

They would then legally pass it along to their departments, which could then choose to forward it to immigration officers. This teen, named “Alex” was from Honduras, had drawn symbols affiliated with MS-13, so he was picked up and detained.

Alex claimed they were a school symbol and sign of Honduran pride. He was later deported, at age 19.

Then he used a coyote to illegally re-enter at age 20 and was caught and arrested. He’ll now have to wait twenty years before he can apply for a visa to come to the United States legally.

Advertisement - story continues below

But somehow all of that information translated, according to The New York Times, as Trump’s push for a crackdown on MS-13 being bad. The members of the communities seeing a significant decline in gang activity, including murder, may disagree with that assessment.

Specializing in news, politics and human interest stories, Kara Pendleton has
been a professional writer and author since 2002. One of her proudest professional moments was landing an interview that even mainstream media couldn't get.

After being asked by her second grade teacher to read her story aloud to the class and causing them all to burst into gales of laughter, Kara knew writing was for her. Having written as a ghost writer and under the pen name Daniella Nicole, Kara Pendleton is the author of seven books and contributing author to one other, with more in the pipeline.
Her education includes finance, housing and consumer issues, as well as journalism and health/nutrition. Kara also has a Master Certification in English Vocabulary.
She has been a radio talk show guest and a public speaker on various financial topics. The feisty brunette is 5'10" in her boots and an admitted news junkie.